Drunken Driving Penalty Should Be Severe

In reply to the letter from Deb and Ted Paulk commenting on my remarks regarding Ken Murphy's interview pertaining to the enhanced enforcement of drunken driving laws during the holiday period I wish to say the following:

Please read my letter a second time.

Mr. Murphy is, for the moment, a community leader and I did not question his right to speak his mind. I did question the prudence of his comments in light of his position and I was, and still am, appalled at his attitude.

I believe that Mr. Murphy could better serve the community by being supportive of any effort that makes the Rim country a safer place to "enjoy ourselves" rather than expressing his disdain for enhanced enforcement during the holiday season, which is by the way, the peak period for "accidents" which are caused by drunken drivers.

Your suggestion that I would be better suited as "an Ayatollah in the Mideast" because I would support stringent laws which can save lives is a comment that can only best be described as ludicrous. I did not suggest that any laws that "allow people to enjoy themselves" be rewritten, nor did I suggest that the 18th Amendment be reinstated. I did strongly, and clearly, state that I would prefer that the penalty for drunken driving be severe, and I will stand by my statement.

You have the right to drink as much as you wish whenever you choose to do so. What you do not have, is the "right" to attempt to drive a motor vehicle after you have been drinking, and I also stand by conviction to support any and all efforts to prevent you, and everyone else who drinks, from doing so.

If you can muster the strength to contact MADD you will at the very least be

considerably more enlightened as to the extent of the problem in this country, and maybe, just maybe, you will begin to develop a new attitude about drinking and driving. And, perhaps as a result you will spare yourselves the grief that will come from suffering an accident while driving intoxicated.

For what it's worth, I DO NOT feel there is anything wrong with the concept of "live and live." I do however have a real problem with the concept that it should be OK to drink and drive, regardless of how much you may enjoy the experience.